clam

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clam [noun]

a type of sea creature with a shell in two parts that can close together tightly, and a soft body that can be eaten

US /klæm/ 
UK /klæm/ 

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

clam

I. clam1 /klæm/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1500-1600; Origin: clam 'two-part fastener' (14-20 centuries), from Old English clamm 'chain, rope, etc. for tying something up'; from the tight shutting of a clam shell]

1. a ↑shellfish you can eat that has a shell in two parts that open up:
clam chowder (=a type of soup)
2. as happy as a clam American English informal very happy
3. American English informal someone who does not say what they are thinking or feeling
II. clam2 BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle clammed, present participle clamming)
clam up phrasal verb
informal to suddenly stop talking, especially when you are nervous or shy:
A sensitive child is likely just to clam up.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

clam

clam [clam clams clammed clamming]   [klæm]    [klæm] 

noun

a shellfish that can be eaten. It has a shell in two parts that can open and close
clam chowder/soup
The moment I mentioned the children he closed up like a clam (= became silent and refused to discuss the topic).  
Word Origin:
early 16th cent.: apparently from earlier clam ‘a clamp’, from Old English clam, clamm ‘a bond or bondage’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch klemme, German Klemme, also to clamp.

Derived: clam up 

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

clam / klæm / noun [ C ]

a type of sea creature with a shell in two parts that can close together tightly, and a soft body that can be eaten

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

clam

[klæ_m]
 clams, clamming, clammed
 N-COUNT

 Clams are a kind of shellfish which can be eaten.
  Phrasal Verbs:
  - clam up

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

1clam /ˈklæm/ noun, pl clams
1 [count] : a type of shellfish that lives in sand or mud, has a light-colored shell with two parts, and is eaten both cooked and raw
• steamed clams
clam chowder
- see color picture 
2 clams [plural] US slang somewhat old-fashioned : dollars
• He won 20 clams [=(more commonly) bucks] playing poker.
(as) happy as a clam US informal : very happy
• She spent the afternoon reading and was as happy as a clam.